The official Instagram account of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa posted a video on Monday, November 2, showing his visit to the owner of a shop selling fabrics and upholstery supplies in old Damascus. The post said al-Sharaa had previously done business with the shop owner and asked about his well-being and work during the visit.
The video, which runs for approximately 90 seconds, shows al-Sharaa entering the shop, which is packed with rolls of synthetic leather and upholstery materials. He shakes hands with the owner and exchanges friendly words with him before leaving amid a gathering of local residents and owners of nearby shops, who quickly filmed the moment on their phones. Anadolu Agency reported that al-Sharaa asked about conditions in the market and the shop owner’s livelihood during the visit.
A customer since 2002
Al Arabiya and Al Hadath reported that al-Sharaa had done business with the shop owner in 2002, while Aleppo Today said the two had known each other for about 24 years. That period preceded al-Sharaa’s move to Iraq in 2003, according to his widely circulated biography. Blinx noted that al-Sharaa had not forgotten the shop’s location, went there directly and examined its details and the changes made by its owner.
The Syrian platform Neshan reported that al-Sharaa’s response to the shop owner gained wide attention on social media. The owner told him that he had paid 75 million Syrian pounds “instead of performing military service” 10 days before the fall of the Assad regime, to which the president replied, “That’s too bad for you.”
Frequent visits to the capital’s markets
This is not the first time al-Sharaa has appeared among people in Damascus markets. In July 2025, he walked through the old neighborhoods of Damascus at night and congratulated a groom whose procession he encountered. On January 5, 2026, he was seen shopping in the Mezzeh district using the new Syrian currency, after rumors that he had been involved in a security incident were denied by the Interior Ministry. On June 18, 2026, he visited the books market and several shops and popular restaurants in the al-Halbouni area in central Damascus with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Markets await recovery
The visit comes as traders in the old markets await the impact of economic changes on sales activity. The United States had repealed the Caesar Act sanctions under the defense budget signed by President Donald Trump in December 2025, while the Central Bank of Syria introduced a new currency in early 2026, removing two zeros so that every 100 old pounds equaled one new pound.
However, US restrictions remain in place. Sawt al-Asima quoted Al-Monitor as reporting that US Representative Joe Wilson said Syria’s continued placement on the Commerce Department’s “E” list, designated for countries supporting terrorism, delays US companies’ exports of technology products to the country and pushes them toward China.
Video: The official Instagram account of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo: Al-Hamidiyah Souq in old Damascus, Wikimedia Commons (archive)
